


Stay Still

by HeyItsEm (MrsHalstead_Soffer)



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Matter of Life and Death, Mild Language, One Shot, Tucy, chenford, what is going on here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-01-12
Packaged: 2021-03-16 06:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28702422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MrsHalstead_Soffer/pseuds/HeyItsEm
Summary: “Do you ever get those feelings?” she asked him. “The ones where there’s a pit in your stomach and you know, you just know that something is going to happen. Like you have a premonition that your future self is trying to warn you that-“OR Lucy Chen and Yet Another No Good, Very Bad Day
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 11
Kudos: 116





	Stay Still

**Author's Note:**

> First off thank you for choosing to read this! It is just a little AU as I am not completely caught up in the series yet. But I hope you enjoy! I've never posted to AO3 (only FF and Tumblr) and hope this posts well :) Please let me know what you think!

“You know, I should have stayed in bed today. I had a feeling.” Lucy Chen said, crossing her arms over her chest. “I knew something like this would happen and-”

“And what boot? You can ask yourself what could _you_ do to make things different? A hundred things? Maybe even a thousand. You could go to your grave thinking of ways that you can change your life every day.” Stated her former training officer and partner Tim Bradford.

“Yes sir, but-“ She began saying

“No buts, you need to be thinking ab-“

“Do you ever get those feelings?” she asked. “The ones where there’s a pit in your stomach and you know, you just _know_ that something is going to happen. Like you have a premonition that your future self is trying to warn you that-“

“Chen.”

“-something bad is going to happen. My dad always told me it was probably anxiety which ok who doesn’t have some form of anxiety. This morning was a sign, that I should have just stayed in bed or-or taken the day off and went and got a pedicure.”

“Get a-? Chen.” He said a little more forceful.

“And you know what sounds really good right now? A burger and not just any burger but one of those from that little shack on the corner of 5th and Dobson, with a large order of-“

“Lucy!” he yelled causing her to startle.

“What!”

“You need to stay focused and calm down.”

“I am calm!”

“Don’t say you’re calm.” He told her as he moved around the room. “I need you to tell me what happened.” Tim told her as he leaned his right elbow onto the counter, crossing his feet over each other.

“You’ve been here to whole time, you know what happened!” Lucy stated exasperated.

“Tell me again boot.” He commanded as his partner rolled her eyes.

“Stop calling me that, I’m not you’re boot anymore.” She told him as he leveled her a look.

_Four Hours Earlier_

“Traffic cameras in the vicinity of Wellington and Rose caught who our detectives think to be our bomber from yesterday’s apartment explosion that killed Logan Price. Officer West, hand out the BOLO. Keep your eyes open on patrol today for a blue 2014 Toyota Camry registered to a Alex Ryan, plate numbers are on the sheet. Detectives believe that Ryan’s ex-girlfriend was in a relationship with Price and that Mr. Ryan didn’t like that idea.”

“Do we know where the girlfriend is?”

“Detectives were able to get in contact with her and she is currently in Chicago on business.” Sargent Grey told the team of officers. “Nolan and Harper, head to Axel’s Auto where Ryan was last employed and find out if his coworkers might know where he is. Lopez and West drive by his apartment and see if he may be around. Chen and Bradford, stake out the girlfriend’s, this guy has got a vendetta and likely does not know she is out of town, he may try something. That’s all I have, you are dismissed.”

Lucy Chen looked over the paper in her hands as she and her former training officer walked out of the debrief. “Well, this guy seems like fun. Charges ranging from reckless endangerment to B&E. Looks like he stepped up his game.”

“You think blowing someone up is fun boot?” Bradford stopped and turned looking towards his partner, crossing his arms over his chest.

“No, I just want to know what set him off. I mean nothing in his previous arrests indicate anything geared towards anger or jealousy.”

“Ok and? People are unpredictable.”

“I know it’s just that… Something isn’t adding up.” Lucy told him, her brow furrowed as she read over the report again.

“A lot of shit doesn’t. You can keep reading in the car, let’s go.”

….

“Have you ever had to deal with a bomber situation before?” Chen asked as Bradford drove closer to the ex-girlfriend’s address.

Bradford clenched his jaw, gripping the steering wheel till his knuckles were white, “I’ve worked with a few of the guys on the squad, had a few incidents during both my tours.” He told her, forcing the memories back as he gave his right turn signal, steering the the patrol car onto Pine Drive.

Chen glanced at him from the side of her eye, knowing that’s all she was going to get out of him. She looked around, observing their surroundings as they were within a few houses of their destination. “Wait!”

Bradford hit his breaks. “What?” he questioned loudly, Chen’s voice pulling him out of his stupor.

“There.” She pointed across him to the side of a house. “That’s a 2014 Camry. Can you see the plates?”

Tim shook his head, pulling the car to the side, throwing it in park. “Get the scope out of the center console.” She opened the compartment, grabbing it before handing it over. “What were the plate numbers?” he asked as he moved the device into position.

Chen looked down at the BOLO paper, “9-Echo-7-Tango-8-2-Lima”

“Got him.” He told her handing over the scope for her to confirm. “No one’s in the car, he must be waiting for her in the house.”

Bradford grabbed the mic, “Dispatch this is 7-Adam-19, we’re on location at 2924 Pine Drive our suspect’s car is at our location, requesting back-up.”

_“10-4 7-Adam-19 back-up is being dispatched to your location.”_

_“Dispatch show 7-Adam-07 enroute to 7-Adam-19s location.”_

“What now?” Lucy asked.

“We keep an eye on the house and gear up.”

…

The sound of a battering ram splintering the wood of the door was all that could be heard as they breached the house.

“LAPD!”

“LAPD! Ryan come out!”

“We have the place surrounded!”

Four SWAT members divided up into teams as Bradford, Chen, West and Lopez entered the house behind them to assist in the sweep. Bradford motioned for Chen to head straight as he went left down a hallway. Lopez going right as West headed straight with Chen.

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

“Clear!”

Voices echoed in the empty rooms as they checked each space.

“He’s not here.” Angela Lopez stated as she re-holstered her gun stepping into the kitchen.

“No sign that anyone has been here.” Jackson West told them, stepping into the room.

“Then why did he park the car here?” Chen questioned. “Why make us think he is here?”

“Did anyone check the car?” asked Bradford.

“Carson and Bell did, hood was warm, keys in the ignition but nobody around. They did find an electronic box in the passenger seat, has some kind of keypad on it.” A SWAT member informed them.

“Chen, let’s do a search on the car. Lopez, you and West start questioning neighbors, he couldn’t have gotten far.” Bradford suggested as he moved into the living room, looking around for anything that might be out of place.

Lucy followed him, looking around the room, glancing outside at the backyard before turning around. “Did anyone-“ she began to ask, moving across the room when she felt a change under her feet, the sound of something giving way under her feet before the metallic click of something locking into place. Bradford turned around as she looked down at her feet planted on the carpet before looking back up, panicked.

“Tim.” She said, fear lacing her voice. “I think- I think I just messed up.”

“Lucy, don’t. Move.”

“Wasn’t planning on it.”

“What can you tell me?”

“I’m standing on some kind of plate; it’s under the rug, it gave way and made a metallic locking noise when I stepped on it.”

“Let’s hope this one isn’t affected by radio frequencies.” He told her as he grabbed the radio from his duty belt. “Officer Bradford to Dispatch, send bomb squad, fire and EMS to our immediate location and notify Sargent Grey to contact me on my cell, that we have a situation.”

_“Bradford, bomb squad and LAFD has been notified and are enroute. Sargent Grey will be in contact.”_

“19 to 07, begin evacuating the surrounding houses. No one is to step foot through that door until bomb squad arrives.”

_“07 10-4.”_

“Lucy, look at me.” Tim told her, holstering his radio. “Luce… I need you to focus on me.” He pleaded for her attention to puller her out of her fear fed trance. “I need you to slowly remove your radio and you gun from you belt and hand them to me.” he directed as she slowly began doing as instructed. “Good. Now, tell me what do we do first?”

“This better not be another one of your exercises.” Lucy looked around before landing on her partner’s face. “Contact bomb squad, fire and EMS, establish a command, secure the perimeter, evacuate the surrounding houses, assess the scene.”

“Good.” He said, running a hand over his face. “What’s next?”

“Ummmm…” she thought. “Wait for bomb squad to arrive to clear the scene of any secondary devices?”

“On their way.” Bradford said as he turned around, closing his eyes for a second as he took a deep breath before grabbing his phone from his vest.

“I had a feeling.” Chen said quietly.

“What?” he asked her, turning around.

“That I might die today, I had a feeling.”

“Don’t.” He told her, taking a step forward. “Don’t go there.”

“I even told West and Nolan, they didn’t believe me.”

“You,” he said, pointing a finger at her, wanting to take another step forward but thinking better of it. “are not dying today, not on my watch.” The shrill tone of a cell phone broke through the air, “Bradford. You’re on speaker sir.”

_“Tim, what the hell is going on? I’ve been in a meeting with the captain.”_

“We found the bombing suspects car at the ex-girlfriends house and preformed a preliminary search, nothing was found until Officer Chen stepped onto a pressure plate of some sort.”

_“Is there any way to get to it?”_

“There’s a basement sir. We are waiting on bomb squad to do a search, they should be here any minute to take further action.”

_“I will be there in twenty. Officer Chen, is there anything I can do for you?”_

“No sir.” She told him before muttering under her breath. “Maybe turn back time.”

_“I’m twenty out.”_

Tim looked at his rookie. “You’re going to be fine boot.”

“Tell me a story.” She asked.

He stared at her for a second, “When I was stationed in Afghanistan, one night,” he began telling her with a laugh “we thought it was a brilliant idea to prank our commander. He had just come back from the States, his wife had given birth to their forth kid, and we thought it would be hilarious to unscrew some of the nuts and bolts of his bed so when he went to sit or lay down he would fall through. One of my buddies, Ryder, put all the pieces in his pocket and forgot about them, loosing most of them. When the commander came back, he was so pissed,” Bradford smiled in memory. “we had to run for days. He ended up making Ryder switch out their beds and Ryder just slept in the floor for a straight week until we could round up enough supplies to fix it.”

“You know, I think that is in the top five of the most words I’ve ever hear you speak.”

Bradford rolled his eyes, as his radio squalled. _“Bomb squad just pulled up.”_

“10-4”

“Hey Bradford?” Lucy said with a slight smile on her face. “Thank you.”

…

A tall man with red hair walked through the entry of the living room. “Officer Chen? I am Captain Williams with the bomb squad. Officer Bradford, you can relax and are free to go, the house is secure, no other explosive devices were found.”

“Captain, good to see you.” Tim acknowledged.

“Tim, this your rook?”

Bradford nodded “Officer Lucy Chen, Captain Michael Williams, he was my commanding officer my first year as a boot.”

“Nice to meet you, but I am sorry you had to put up with him.”

Bradford glared. “If you weren’t standing on a bomb right now…”

“Wish it were under different circumstances. The good news is that this device will not be impacted by any radio frequencies that we can determine so the frequencies of the handheld radio are fine. Now your day is about to get a little bit shittier Officer Chen as you are standing on a sensor plate wired to a detonator. Compressing the plate was the equivalent to pulling the hammer back on a gun, when you move or take your weight off the plate, it would be like your finger pulling the trigger. I’ll be back to outline the device, but we believe based on what we have seen from the basement you are standing on a 3x3 metal plate wired to at least 8 kilograms of RDX. In other words, you cannot move, not until we can disarm it.”

“Understood.” Lucy said, letting out a shaky breath.

“That’s enough to-… What’s the time frame Williams?”

“A few hours at least, we’ve got to get a better look at it in the basement because we’re not sure what exactly we are dealing with. Bombers are like fingerprints no two make one the same. We can assume that he does in fact have some sort of history with pyrotechnics in his background even though it may not be on his rap sheet.”

“What about the device they found in the car?”

“One of my guys is taking a look at it but there could be at least a hundred thousand combinations to disarm the plate. Any leads on the guy who done this?”

“Canvasing his hangouts but nothing yet.”

“Keep me updated and I will do the same to you.” Captain Williams told them before heading towards the door of the basement.

Lucy let out a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “You know, I should have stayed in bed today. I had a feeling. I knew something like this would happen and-.”

“And what? You can ask yourself what could you do to make things differently? A hundred different things? Maybe even a thousand. You could go to your grave thinking of ways that you can change your life every day.”

“Yes sir, but-“ She began saying

“No buts, you need to be thinking-“

“Do you ever get those feelings?” she asked. “The ones where there’s a pit in your stomach and you know, you just know that something is going to happen. Like you have a premonition that your future self is trying to warn you that-“

“Chen.”

“-something bad is going to happen. My dad always told me it was probably anxiety which ok who doesn’t have some form of anxiety. This morning was a sign, that I should have just stayed in bed or-or taken the day off and went and got a pedicure.”

“Get a-? Chen.” He said a little more forceful.

“And you know what sounds really good right now? A burger and not just any burger but one of those from that little shack on the corner of 5th and Dobson, with a large order of-“

“Lucy!” he yelled causing her to startle.

“What!”

“You need to stay focused and calm down.”

“I am calm!”

“Don’t say you’re calm.” He told her as he moved around the room. “I need you to tell me what happened.” Tim told her as he leaned his right elbow onto the counter, crossing his feet over each other.

“You’ve been here to whole time, you know what happened!” Lucy stated exasperated.

“Tell me again boot.” He commanded as his partner rolled her eyes.

“Stop calling me that, I’m not you’re boot anymore.” She told him as he leveled her a look.

“Lucy! Are you ok?” Jackson asked, carefully walking into the room.

Lucy copied Bradford’s look, “Do I look ok Jackson?”

Jackson coward back. “No?”

“Then don’t ask.” She told him. “Anything from Harper and Nolan?”

Jackson cleared his throat “Yeah a bunch of Ryan’s coworkers said that he liked to go to this bar out on Rolling Hills Avenue and , they are checking it out.”

“Good, good.” Lucy said as the silence consumed them.

“I’m going to go check in with Sargent Grey. Jackson you stay with her for a few?” Tim asked as he walked away.

“Yeah, sure no problem.”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “Not like I can go anywhere Bradford!”

…

“What if we- What about replacing my weight with something of equal weight?” Chen asked.

“We believe the plate that you are is standing on can detect any minute fluctuation in pressure. If we try to transfer the weight, it could set off the bomb; put protective gear on, set off the bomb; she moves from one foot to the oth-“

“Ok, I think she gets it.” Interrupted Bradford. “So what are we supposed to do, stand here all day while you and your team try to deactivate it?”

“I’m sorry Tim but you’re going to have to leave.”

Tim crossed his arms over his chest, his feet moving into a defensive stance. “If you think I am abandoning my Rookie than you’re out of your goddamn mind.”

“You’re non-essential personnel Bradford, you have no business being here.”

“Like hell I do. I’m not leaving her behind sir.”

Captain Williams intently stared Bradford down. “Fine, but nothing stupid.”

“Yes Sir.” Bradford acknowledged as the other man left the room, slowly walking around the living area, observing his surroundings.

“You should go, you don’t need to stay.”

“I’m not going anywhere Chen.” He told her picking up a hidden magazine off the coffee table.

“You’re putting yourself in danger.”

“I’m a grown ass man, I’ll be fine.”

“So, you’re just going to watch me stand here all day?”

“Yup.” He said taking a seat on the barstool, kicking his feet up onto the marbled countertop, flipping through the pages. “Do women actually read this stuff?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“ _Nine Ways to Make Sex Better for Him. Number one: have him-_ ”

“Bradford!” Chen yelled, a blush on her cheeks, causing Tim to look over the top of the magazine. “Shouldn’t we be I don’t know finding a way to get me off this literal ticking timebomb?”

“There’s plenty of people already working on it Chen.” He told her, returning to his magazine. “Besides, I see this as a learning opportunity.”

“How is you reading a woman’s magazine a learning opportunity?”

“ _Number two: If you haven’t already, try having him lay on his-“_

“Officer Bradford, a word.” Sargent Grey requested, standing in the entryway of the room. “Hang in there Officer Chen you should be back home by dinner time.”

Tim walked over to the open entry “Sir.”

“The lack of access to the ceiling in the basement is limiting their options, but bomb squad learned that the handheld remote that was used to activate the bomb can deactivate it as well they just-“

“Stop it.” Lucy’s voice echoed in the room, gaining the men’s attention. “I am not a civilian.”

“Officer Chen?”

“You are acting like I am not in the room which I clearly am, you think I will begin to freak out any minute. I am not a civilian. I went through the academy and I deserve to know what the hell is going on.”

The two superiors glanced at each other before moving further into the room.

“Bomb squad notified me that there are a few setbacks, the device is a little harder to get to than previously believed. The handheld remote found in the car was used to activate the bomb and can be used to deactivate it as well, but they need the right 5-didgit code.”

“But that’s roughly a hundred thousand different combinations.” Pointed our Bradford.

“Exactly and the device is tamper proof meaning-“

“We enter the wrong code and no more Lucy.” Chen concluded.

“Captain Williams has informed me that they are attempting to use a fiber scope to view the device. There is good news, Officer Nolan and Harper were able to apprehend our suspect at his favorite watering hole. If we can get him to make a plea deal then we can get the code.”

“ _If_ we can get him to make a plea deal, that doesn’t mean he still would not give us the wrong code.”

“You let us worry about that Officer Chen.”

“Has someone looked further into his background? There’s a reason he put this device in his ex’s house.” Questioned Bradford.

“We’ve got Lopez and West back at the station looking over it with a fine-toothed comb. We’re going to figure this out Chen.”

…

Wesley Evers walked out of the interrogation room looking grim. “He is willing to give the code, but he has demands.”

“Of course he does.” Nyla Harper said as she rolled her eyes. “Let me guess he want’s amnesty.”

“You would be correct. I told him that the D.A would never go for it but that’s his terms.” Wesley told the group of officers surrounding him. “He said that either he walks or she dies. Listen I’m having to hand this case over to a partner due to moral conflict, but I swear we are going to do everything we can to get Lucy off that bomb.”

“Has anyone come up with a plan B yet? We could get him clothes, food, even computer time while he is behind bars.” Nolan suggested.

“My partner is on their way in now to work something out.”

…

“I’ve informed my client that there was a deal to be had, just not for exoneration and he’s still insisting he walk. I’m giving him a few minutes to think in the tank, but I am doing everything I can.” The lawyer stated, walking out towards the group of officers.

“Can one of us talk to him? See if we can get something out of him.” Asked Jackson.

“As a lawyer? No, I will not allow my client to be questioned and harassed by a cop without me being present. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am going to grab a cup of coffee.”

The group turned and watched the man head towards the break room. “Did he just?”

“I think he did.”

“Harper, you have more experience with this kind of thing, you up for it?”

Nyla Harper smirked. “Bet your ass.”

…

 _“Sargent Grey, we’ve got a problem.”_ Captain Williams voice came over the radio.

Bradford looked up from the Health and Food magazine he was reading. “That doesn’t sound good.” He mumbled as Sargent Grey walked through the front door heading towards the open door of the basement. Tim stood up, adjusting his duty belt before glancing at Lucy, walking behind his commanding officer.

“We were able to breech the ceiling but what we found on the scope you’re not going to like.” Captain Williams told him as he motioned him over to the monitors.

“There’s a timer.”

“Shit.” Bradford cursed.

Michael Williams turned around, looking to the two people standing behind him. “It seems as though the timer was activated when she stepped on the triggering plate. According to the countdown she has forty-three minutes and seventeen seconds left.”

“Fuck.”

“We’re trying to disarm it but the fuse, the detonator, the timing pin are all shielded by a steel plate behind the timer.”

“So, no access?”

“Unfortunately no. A few of my guys mentioned that you may have a lead Sargent Grey?”

The official cleared his throat, glancing at the Officer standing next to him. “Yes, we believe that during his time in prison, Ryan became friends with one of his fellow inmates, Kyle Louis who happens to specialize in pyrotechnics of the illegal variety. Ryan told us that Louis helped him set it up, took what little money he had offered and ran. I had dispatch issue a BOLO for Louis twenty minutes ago.”

“We don’t have time for this bullshit! Can’t we- we put her in a suit? Or further increase the pressure or something?!” exclaimed Bradford loudly.

“Listen, that is an unstable device, just a minuscule movement from her and it could go off. And if that thing goes off it could level not only this house but the ones surrounding it, killing who knows how many people.”

“Including my partner!” Bradford seethed. “Find. A. Way.” He demanded before walking up the stairs.

Captain Williams and Sargent Grey watched him go. “I promise, me and my guys are doing all that we can on our end.”

“We are trying to get Ryan to give up the code now but the things he is requesting in exchange is not logical. I’ll keep you updated.” Said Sargent Grey before heading up the stairs.

Bradford turned the corner, leaning his body against the entry column as he watched Lucy. “What’s the word?”

He let out a sigh. “Well the good news is that they isolated the bomb, they are still trying to figure out the schematics and mechanics.”

“And the bad news?”

“Who said there was bad news?” he asked hesitantly.

Chen worriedly stared down her partner. “Look at where I am, there’s always bad news.”

Bradford stared at the wall behind her before taking a deep breath. “Alright… There’s a timer attached to the bomb.”

Lucy nodded slightly, taking a deep breath. “How long?” she asked, willing her voice not to shake.

“About thirty-five minutes.” He whispered.

Lucy slightly nodded again. “Ok. Ok, that’s- it’s- I can’t keep standing here all day anyway.” She nervously laughed as a stray tear fell down her cheek.

“Lucy, they are doing everything-“

“they can to figure out the code, to find the guy who made this but-“

“Hey, no. Don’t- don’t lose faith.” he said stepping closer but minding the boundary. “We’re going to get you out of this. I found you fucking buried alive, I can and fucking will get you off a fucking timebomb.”

“I think that’s the most I’ve ever heard you say fuck in one sentence.” Lucy smiled as she wiped the few new tears away. “Tim, can you- can you do me a favor?”

He watched her, “Anything.”

“My phone, it’s in the car. Call- call my parents.” She asked, taking a steadying breath.

“No.”

“You just said anything.”

“I never agreed to do it though. I am not calling your parents because at the end of today, you are going home.”

“We just said none of us know that.”

“We’ve been in bad situations before, hell we get shot at almost every other day!”

Lucy rolled her eyes, “Because one of us lives for the excitement and it’s not me.”

“You don’t complain.” He smirked, walking into the kitchen. “Face it, you enjoy it just as much as I do.”

A lull in noise engulfed the room as Lucy rolled her eyes “Yes but-“

“Alright, I know where your emotions are right now but how are you feeling?” Bradford asked as he raided the fridge.

“I need to pee.”

Bradford turned his head to look over his shoulder, giving her an incredulous look. “That, is too much information.”

“And I’m still hungry. I also never got to finish my drink earlier, so it’s probably watery now.” She sighed as Bradford walked back into the room.

“Stick out your hand.”

“I don’t really think I should be moving a lot right now.”

Tim rolled his eyes, “It’s your hand, it will not cause your whole body to move now, stick it out.”

Lucy stuck her hand all the way out, feeling something drop into it. “A sucker?”

Tim shrugged as he opened a small bag of M&Ms. “Apparently someone in this house has a bit of a sweet tooth, I found a drawer filled with candy.”

Chen began unwrapping her lollipop, sticking it in her mouth as she looked around the room. “That’s it.” Lucy said, her feet itching to move. “I figured it out.” Her eyes going wide.

“Figured what out?”

“The missing piece. Look into the backyard.” She instructed. “What do you see?”

Bradford sighs before walking over. “I see grass, some flowers, a kids bike, a huge jungle gym, a few… toys. There’s a kid.”

“Exactly. There’s a kid. And if the ex-girlfriend is out of town then where is the kid?”

“07-Adam-19 to Command. What do we know about the ex-girlfriend?” Bradford asked into his radio. “If you’re right then-“

_“Delilah Callaway. 34. Born and raised in Northern Michigan moved to LA for work about fifteen years ago.” Sargent Grey’s voice scratched through the speaker of the handheld radio._

“When did she and our suspect begin dating?”

_“She stated somewhere around June 2008 to March 2013.”_

“Right before Ryan was put in jail for Assault and Battery of a cop right?”

“Find a picture!” Chen told him as he took off out of the room.

_“Correct the arrest took place in February of 2013 charges were Felony Assault and Battery times four, Assault of a Government Employee times four, Possession of a Firearm by a Felon, Unlawful possession of a Firearm, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was sentenced to seven years with parole.”_

“Got it!” Bradford yelled bringing the picture back into the living room. “When was he released?”

_“March 2020.”_

“ Sarge, Delilah has a kid. Looks to be about seven or eight. Do we know if Ryan was the father?”

_“Looking into records now.”_

“Where’s the keypad?” Lucy asked, looking around. “That’s the code. Ryan thought Delilah was going to be here, he didn’t know she was going to be out of town. He somehow knew about the kid but she didn’t want him in the kids life because of his criminal history. We get the kids birthday-“

“We disarm the bomb.” Tim said, trying to control his emotions. “But if you’re wrong…”

“I’m not. He wants his kid. That was his plan, kill the boyfriend, have her step on the bomb and take the kid.”

_“Officer Bradford, the birth certificate has no father listed but we are attempting to contact Ms. Callaway.”_

“What’s the birthday of the kid?”

_“November 9th, 2013. Mind telling me what’s going on?”_

“Sir, we believe that the child is Ryan’s. Callaway would not allow for him to see the child and he is retaliating. Do we know where the child is?”

“ _Still attempting contact. We’ll start asking the neighbors.”_

“Officer Chen.” Captain Williams acknowledged walking into the room. “I am sure Officer Bradford made you aware of the current situation.”

“He has.” She said, looking at the clock on the wall. “Fifteen minutes?”

“Let’s hope we’ll get you off there before hand. I’ve got guys down below working till the last-minute possible moment. But… everyone else has to leave, including you Officer Bradford.”

“Wait, can we just wait a few more minutes, please? We think we have a lead.” Chen pleaded.

Captain Williams sighed, “Five. That’s all you get.”

“We need the keypad.”

“No, there’s only one chance-“ Williams objected.

“We know the code.” Lucy said firmly. 

“And if you’re wrong?”

Tim and Lucy looked at each other. “That’s a risk we are willing to take.”

“Your death wish then. I’ll be right back.” Said Captain Williams before leaving the room.

“Tim, my phone.” She asked, sticking her hand out.

Bradford reached into the pocket on his vest, handing her the device he went out and retrieved before stepping out of the room.

Lucy hit the button she was looking for, only for it to ring a few times before being sent to voicemail. “Hey dad, it’s me. I just… I wanted to hear your voice and tell you that I love you. No matter- no matter what you hear today, just please know that. Bye.” Lucy took a deep breath after ending the call, putting her phone into the pocket of her vest. “You can come back now.”

Bradford walked around the corner. “Williams gave me the device. Asked for a few minutes head start for his guys.”

“Give it to me and go.”

“What? No.”

“There is no need for both of us to die.”

“Well good because neither of us is dying, it’s just a typical day and we are diffusing a bomb.”

“You say that like you have done this before.”

“I have. Once.” He told her. “In a dream.”

“Ok, so what numbers are we putting in?”

“The kids birthday. What was it?” he asked.

“11-9-13”

“Five Digits.”

“You’ve got to go, give me the keypad. I will put it in.”

“I’m not leaving.” He said, shaking fingers punching in the first number.

“It’ll work.” Lucy began chanting under her breath.

Bradford punched in the last one, looking up, nodding at his partner. “Three.”

The only sound throughout the room was the chirp of the keypad and the plate dis-engaging as the tension in the air dissipated. Lucy in shock looked at Tim, lifting her right foot off the floor, taking a careful step.

“Holy shit.” She said, stumbling into the arms of her superior.

“Bradford to Command. She’s off.” Bradford told them as Lucy wrapped her arms around him.

“I can’t believe it worked.” Chen laughed as the sounds of footsteps approaching caused them to break apart.

…

The sound of knocking at her door broke Lucy out of the mindless staring at her TV. She stood up, checking the peephole before opening. “Hey.” She spoke tiredly. “What are you doing here?”

Tim stood up straighter, looking over his partner. “I wanted to check in on you, mind if I come in? I brought pizza and beer.”

Lucy moved out of the way. “Sure, I was just watching TV.”

“Really? Cause it’s turned off.” He pointed out.

Lucy looked away, before getting up, moving into the kitchen to grab plates before coming back and sitting down onto the sofa.

“They found Louis, just north of Fresno. Squealed like a pig. They’re both going back.” He told her, popping the tops off two bottles, passing the remote on the coffee table over to Lucy. “I know that you know but, it’s ok to not be ok right Luce. If you ever want to talk, I believe myself to be a good listener.”

Lucy turned to him “Thanks for today.”

Tim nodded, grabbing a piece of pizza out of the box, taking a bite. “Alright, what are we watching?” He asked, throwing his arm over the back of the couch, propping his feet up on the table.

Lucy settled into the couch, taking a sip of the beer in her hand, scrolling through her Netflix for her comfort show.

“Baking? Really?” he asked.

“Not a word Bradford.”

Tim held his hands up in surrender. “This secret is safe with me Rook.” He grinned, before taking another bite of the pizza.

Sometimes all you need, is a solid shoulder to cry on and steady arms to pick you up.


End file.
